SUPERMARKET giant Tesco is squaring up for a showdown with Cheshire County Council over plans for a household waste recycling centre on its land at Handforth Dean.

Cheshire County Council have identified the site on Kiln Croft Lane as an ideal location for a replacement tip and say they will apply for a compulsory purchase order if necessary.

But Tesco has responded with plans of its own, hitting back with an application for an office village on the site.

It follows a setback when plans for a megastore at the rear were refused permission.

Shaun Edgley, Tesco spokesman, said: "We will fight any Compulsory Purchase Order through all the courts in the land.

"Our plans for the offices will go back in shortly. It is allocated by the borough council as employment land therefore we don't anticipate any problems."

Mr Edgley said if successful, the speculative offices would be sold to third parties and developers.

He claimed procedures to force a sale to the county council were doomed.

But County Councillor Mark Asquith hit back saying Tesco was attempting to raise the price of the land ahead of purchase.

"I think the crucial word on this is compulsory - We are hopeful that we can fulfil the criteria necessary under a compulsory purchase order and force them to sell it us.

"I am wondering if they are making this planning application to increase the price - If they get planning permission to do something with it then the land is worth more."

County Councillor Pat Fearnley said: "Certainly I don't think the county will be surprised at them doing this but we have got to carry on regardless. It is essential that we get this household waste centre."

A spokesman for Cheshire County Council said: "The County Council are putting together a planning application for a household waste recycling centre on land at the rear of Tesco in Handforth.

"It is hoped that this planning application will be submitted in the next few months with a decision being made by Cheshire County Council development regulatory committee by 2006.

"If approval is given we will then seek to buy the land in question or make it the subject of a compulsory purchase order."